Distribution and habitat

Within Victoria, the Diamond Python is restricted to the coastal heaths of far East Gippsland.

Biology and bite

Diamond Pythons will bask during the day, but are primarily nocturnal and hunt for small to medium-sized, warm-blooded vertebrates at night. The females lay a clutch of 10 to 30 eggs in a cluster and care for them. The pythons are the only Victorian snakes to exhibit any form of parental care.

Diamond Pythons are non-venomous, but are capable of inflicting a painful bite. They kill their prey by constriction.

Comments (47)

Hi there. I have just inherited a diamond snake due to the passing of my best friend. I have no previous knowledge of caring for a snake and could do with some help. Any information will assist.
Many Thanks,
Sea.

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Discovery Centre
24 October, 2009 11:54

Hi again Sean. We referred your enquiry about Diamond Python care to our Coordinator, Live Exhibits. We have similar snakes to these pythons and he referred us to a website that has good, reliable, detailed information on Diamond Python care: http://www.dolittlefarm.com.au/docs/diamonds.pdf

I live in far north Queensland as well (Redlynch, outer suburb of Cairns) and have come across a python of this description as well. It was of interest as i carry a wildlife of FNQ book with me and there was no mention of this snake. It was quite distinct in its patterns, nothing i have ever seen on my daily walks before. Is it possible it may be a released pet? I didn't have my camera with me unfortunately.

Discovery Centre
24 January, 2010 16:44

Hi Kate, thanks for your enquiry, the Diamond Python, Morelia spilota spilota is usually found in the coastal regions of NSW (Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, H. C. Cogger, 2000).Another subspecies, morelia spilota variegate, commonly known as a Carpet Python is found in northern Queensland.

Hi Lorraine, you will see from the information posted previously, the Diamond Python is usually found in the coastal area of New South Wales and the Carpet Python sometimes found in Northern Queensland. You may find contacting the Queensland Museum or Brisbane's Alma Park Zoo helpful with providing a scientific identification of the snake.

I live in Australia and have just bought a 7ft Diamond cross Jungle python, the ex owner tells me the snake is 4.5 years old and was hand reared except for the last 6 months due to her pregnancy, she says the diamond python is very tame, is it possible that 6 months of not handling the snake could make it wild again, she insists this is not the case....but I wonder .....can anyone help ?

Hi Carlo - we referred your question to our Live Exhibits experts, who said that six months without handling may make the snake a little more nervous. However if it was quiet previously it should remain pretty quiet – particularly at a mature age. Most good tempered adult pythons remain so for life.

hi i have a 6 month old high yellow diamond (it is a beautiful snake) i will be going overseas for 6 weeks and live in sydney. Firstley are there snake sitters that can look after it while im gone that you can put me in contact with, secondly if my father does look after it he will online feed it not handle it, will the snake become wild considering it has been handled everyday for the last 5 months that i have owned it?

hi, i have a male diamond python he is about 2 meter long and 3 years old...he is very healthy n active but in the last couple of days he has begun to get this whitish discolouation under eath him and his eyes r very glazed..i am worried about him can u plz help???

Hi Deleena, if you have not had this snake for all that long you are possibly experiencing its first slough. This is when it peels back its old scales to reveal the new ones underneath. Pythons tend to do this in one long sock so you can dry the old scales and keep them to monitor its growth. Once they start to shed their scales it is best to leave them to it. Sometimes, they struggle to get them off in which case a water bath, some rocks and some manual help may be required.

can you send me photos of gravid diamonds as they are hard to find and can you tell me do they role on to there backs belly up when gravid like other pythons. i beleive my snake to be gravid but she is not displaying any signs that i have seen in other breeds ta

Hi, we "lost" a caged parrot in very weird circumstances. The large cage is outside at the edge of our garden. We found many bird feathers (body feathers only, no tail or flight feather) in the bottom corner of the cage and none outside the cage. No blood either. The bird is gone. The cage has a cleaning flap at the bottom. The only explanation we can think of is a snake. No other hunter type animal could enter and exit the cage. Whatever happened happened inside the cage and there is no remainder of the bird. We live in a Sydney suburb, Croydon, not near natural bush. Could we have a snake ? maybe an escaped pet python from? Any thoughts on this?

We forwarded your enquiry to our Live Exhibits team, and they responded with the following:

Snakes are not the only potential culprit. Rats are well known for attacks like this, as are possums. They are usually smart enough to work out how to open cages and will simply carry the bird out and eat it somewhere else.

If a snake entered the cage and ate the bird it is unlikely that it would be able to get out afterwards. Many people have in fact used bird cages to trap escaped snakes as they snake enters the cage and then is too large to escape once it has eaten the occupant.

If a snake is to blame it is most likely a Diamond python native to the Sydney region.

Hi, I live on the central coast of NSW & had a large diamond python take residence in my front yard over xmas. It stayed about a week moving to different spots around my front door. Just last night my indoor cats managed to maim a juvenile diamond python in my kitchen which unfortunately died. It was 2 foot long, are you able to tell me how old it would be at this size and how many young in a clutch? We need to know if we need to search for & possible move more young snakes?

We forwarded your question to Museum Victoria’s Live Exhibits team who provided us with the following information:

A two foot long diamond python would be approximately 12 months old, and has most likely wandered into the home as it has moved from its place of birth looking to set up its own territory. Clutches of 20 eggs are not uncommon but mortality in juvenile snakes is very high, with only a small percentage surviving to adulthood.

Hi, my husband has recently bought an 18 month old diamond python, and would like to enquire about the ideal temperature in its enclosure. Its currently set to around 28 degrees at the bottom of the enclosure. Is this an ideal temperature? Thanks in advance

The ideal temperature for a snake of this type is 20 degrees overnight temperature and about 24-25 during the day. The bottom of the enclosure is the coolest part, so it will always be warmer higher up (as heat rises). There should also be a warm spot available for a couple of hours in the middle of the day, to allow the snake to bask as it would naturally. A warm spot is most easily supplied by a basking lamp on a timer, which enables the snake to move back and forth into the most suitable location temperature-wise.

Just had 4 weeks traveling around SW and came across a Diamond Python on our travels in Booderee NP. It was about 3feet in length. We weren't sure if it was venemous or not so gave it a wide berth, it was just basking in the sun. Managed to get a few photo's of it.

I will be getting a Diamond python off a guy who has been feeding then live skinks from his back yard there about 14weeks old & have only just started to eat pinkies should I keep feeding it those or velvets or fluffies?

We forwarded your enquiry to the Museum's Live Exhibits team, who responded with the following information:

Diamond Pythons can feed on fuzzies (velvets) from the egg stage. If they do have any problems feeding you can always revert to pinkies, but there’s no reason why they shouldn’t take fuzzies. The snake will grow in size proportional to the amount of food it consumes – a 14 week old python can eat once a week, and you can try adult mice any time from now on. If it doesn’t take adult mice, keep feeding it fuzzies until it does.

Skinks are native wildlife (including those from your own backyard) so it’s illegal to collect them for any reason without a licence. It’s also not necessary as there are plenty of other food options available, and there is definitely no need to feed them live in this situation.

Diamond Pythons are restricted to coastal areas of eastern Australia and don't inhabit arid or semi-arid areas, so they have no particular adaptations to water conservation. Various types of Carpet Pythons, members of the same species as Diamond Pythons but different subspecies, do inhabit the drier areas of the country. Diamond Pythons will sit in water and can generally tolerate wetter conditions than Carpet Pythons.

kiana
30 July, 2013 12:58

hi im kiana how many babys can they have and how long are they pregnant for and how much will it cost for them to have babys in queensland?

Female diamond pythons lay between 15-20 eggs, which usually take between 2-3 months to hatch. The females lay their eggs approximately 2 months after breeding takes place and they incubate their eggs at 25OC by coiling around the eggs. Female snakes in the wild may only lay eggs once every three years. Breeding pythons can be a complex procedure as specific temperature changes and habitat are vitally important at each stage of the breeding cycle. If you need to investigate getting a permit to own these animals please refer to the relevant information here.

rie
1 August, 2013 14:36

We are living in southern NSW along the east coast up in the bush. We have recently noticed a diamond python sunbathing on the tin roof of our house. After an hour or so it moved away and went into the roof cavity. We were happy to let it be as it is native to the area and will help reduce the rat/mouse problem. However the following day we found that the snake over night had been into the house and shed its skin. My question is we have a four month old daughter, is it possible for the python to try and constrict her thinking she is a possum? Might be a silly question but hoping to have my mind put at ease.

Hi Rie - The average Diamond Python would not be capable of consuming prey larger than a big rat or small rabbit. There are much larger pythons in Australia, such as Carpet Pythons and Olive Pythons, capable of feeding on small wallabies, but there's never been a record of humans of any age being at risk. Overseas species such as Boa Constrictors and Reticulated Pythons have been recording killing and consuming humans, but their size puts our pythons to shame.

Andrew
14 November, 2013 12:56

Hi I live in NSW on the coast. I have a breeding pair of diamond pythons however the female has only laid 4 eggs and is quite fat in the tail region still. I was wondering if this sort of low egg production means she is internally sick or is still harbouring some eggs inside her? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Andrew, whilst Diamond Pythons (Morelia spilota) usually lay between 10 and 20 eggs per clutch, young females may lay fewer at first and there may also be fewer per clutch for a number of other reasons (nutrition, for example). It's also possible for there to be a delay between eggs produced within a clutch, although this is unusual.

The 'tail' of the python is the area posterior to the cloaca - the very end of the snake. Eggs are produced further up the snake, so a fat tail may indicate a well-fed snake rather than anything to do with eggs production.

Steven
11 December, 2013 09:18

My snake recently laid 18 eggs tho all arnt white and the mother layed them in various areas! Does this mean some of the eggs haven't developed properly?? And would I be best to just incubate them?

Found a Diamond back on neighbours roof of Glen Iris .Picked him/her up and took to local police station (Camberwell ), no other help available ??? Just posting here in case anyone has lost it , given the authorities aren't always very helpful!! Looked well fed and healthy and didn't mind being picked up too much , cheers
Steve

A 1.5 metre diamond python has take up residence under my covered BBQ on my deck. I think this is wonderful. However I have native bush rats an possums coming onto my deck at night, including rare and gentle black possums. I leave nature alone but the black possums have been with me (4 of them) for about six years and I worry about one of them being taken by the python. They are larger than the ringtails. Are they safe with the python?

Diamond Pythons (Morelia spilota spilota) will usually feed on rat-sized prey but have been known to take possums. If the python is to live in your garden it will need to eat, just as the rats and possums do, and is as much a part of the local ecosystem as they are.

Monica
19 August, 2014 15:37

This past weekend a snake came in my house thru the doggie door & ate one of my canaries. Although my backyard is has a lot of trees with a wooden deck., this is the first time we have ever experienced a snake on our property. The snake was trapped in our cage. Since I have 4 dogs its necessary for us to keep the doggie door open at night. But I am afraid that my other canaries will be in danger. Should I assume there are more snakes that can in my doggie door? Or was this a one time ordeal? This is the first time we have encountered a snake on our property in 15yrs. I am afraid for my other 5 canaries. Please help...

Hi Teish - Our Live Exhibits manager says that the difference in size of pythons is not a major issue, particularly when the size difference is not great (as in your case). Females are usually bigger than males at the same age. It's more important that they are both old enough and, in the case of the female, that she is physiologically ready to breed.

julie-anne taylor
10 November, 2014 15:47

i need to know what ethical considerations is there for a diamond snake please can you help me on this